Adefovir

12.1 Mechanism of Action Adefovir is an antiviral drug [See Microbiology ( 12.4 )].

1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE Adefovir dipivoxil tablets are indicated for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B in patients 12 years of age and older with evidence of active viral replication and either evidence of persistent elevations in serum aminotransferases (ALT or AST) or histologically active disease. This indication is based on histological, virological, biochemical, and serological responses in adult patients with HBeAg+ and HBeAg- chronic hepatitis B with compensated liver function, and with clinical evidence of lamivudine-resistant hepatitis B virus with either compensated or decompensated liver function. For patients 12 to less than 18 years of age, the indication is based on virological and biochemical responses in patients with HBeAg+ chronic hepatitis B virus infection with compensated liver function. Adefovir dipivoxil tablets are a nucleotide analogue indicated for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B in patients 12 years of age and older. ( 1 )

2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION One tablet containing 10 mg adefovir dipivoxil once daily orally with or without food. ( 2.1 ) Dose adjustment in renal impairment for adults ( 2.2 ) Creatinine Clearance (mL/min) Creatinine clearance calculated by Cockcroft-Gault method using lean or ideal body weight. Greater than or equal to 50 30 to 49 10 to 29 Hemodialysis Patients Recommended dose and dosing interval 10 mg every 24 hours 10 mg every 48 hours 10 mg every 72 hours 10 mg every 7 days following dialysis No dose recommendations for ( 2.1 ): Non-hemodialysis patients with creatinine clearance less than 10 mL per minute. Adolescent patients with renal impairment. 2.1 Chronic Hepatitis B The recommended dose of adefovir dipivoxil tablets in chronic hepatitis B patients for patients 12 years of age and older with adequate renal function is 10 mg, once daily, taken orally, without regard to food. The optimal duration of treatment is unknown. Adefovir dipivoxil tablets are not recommended for use in children less than 12 years of age. 2.2 Dose Adjustment in Renal Impairment Significantly increased drug exposures were seen when adefovir dipivoxil tablets were administered to adult patients with renal impairment [See Warnings and Precautions (5.2) and Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] . Therefore, the dosing interval of adefovir dipivoxil tablets should be adjusted in adult patients with baseline creatinine clearance less than 50 mL per minute using the following suggested guidelines (See Table 1 ). The safety and effectiveness of these dosing interval adjustment guidelines have not been clinically evaluated. Additionally, it is important to note that these guidelines were derived from data in patients with pre-existing renal impairment at baseline. They may not be appropriate for patients in whom renal insufficiency evolves during treatment with adefovir dipivoxil tablets. Therefore, clinical response to treatment and renal function should be closely monitored in these patients. Table 1 Dosing Interval Adjustment of Adefovir Dipivoxil Tablets in Adult Patients with Renal Impairment Creatinine Clearance (mL/min) Creatinine clearance calculated by Cockcroft-Gault method using lean or ideal body weight. Greater than or equal to 50 30 to 49 10 to 29 Hemodialysis Patients Recommended dose and dosing interval 10 mg every 24 hours 10 mg every 48 hours 10 mg every 72 hours 10 mg every 7 days following dialysis The pharmacokinetics of adefovir have not been evaluated in non-hemodialysis patients with creatinine clearance less than 10 mL per minute; therefore, no dosing recommendation is available for these patients. No clinical data are available to make dosing recommendations in adolescent patients with renal insufficiency [See Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ].

6 ADVERSE REACTIONS The following adverse reactions are discussed in other sections of the labeling: Severe acute exacerbations of Hepatitis [ S ee Boxed Warning , Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] Nephrotoxicity [See Boxed Warning , Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ] Most common adverse reaction (incidence greater than 5%) in compensated liver disease patients were asthenia, headache, abdominal pain and nausea. ( 6.1 ) The most common adverse reaction in pre- and post- transplantation lamivudine-resistant liver disease patients was increased creatinine. ( 6.2 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Apotex Corp. at 1-800-706-5575or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. Clinical and laboratory evidence of exacerbations of hepatitis have occurred after discontinuation of treatment with adefovir dipivoxil. Adverse reactions to adefovir dipivoxil identified from placebo-controlled and open label studies include the following: asthenia, headache, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, dyspepsia, flatulence, increased creatinine, and hypophosphatemia. The incidence of these adverse reactions in studies 437 and 438, where 522 patients with chronic hepatitis B and compensated liver disease received double-blind treatment with adefovir dipivoxil (N=294) or placebo (N=228) for 48 weeks is presented in Table 2. Patients who received open-label adefovir dipivoxil for up to 240 weeks in Study 438 reported adverse reactions similar in nature and severity to those reported in the first 48 weeks. Table 2 Adverse Reactions (Grades 1 to 4) Reported in ≥3% of All Adefovir Dipivoxil-Treated Patients in Pooled Studies 437 to 438 Studies (0 to 48 Weeks) In these studies, the overall incidence of adverse reactions with adefovir dipivoxil was similar to that reported with placebo. The incidence of adverse reactions is derived from treatment-related events as identified by the study investigators. Adverse Reaction Adefovir Dipivoxil 10 mg (N=294) Placebo (N=228) Asthenia 13% 14% Headache 9% 10% Abdominal Pain 9% 11% Nausea 5% 8% Flatulence 4% 4% Diarrhea 3% 4% Dyspepsia 3% 2% No patients treated with adefovir dipivoxil developed a confirmed serum creatinine increase greater than or equal to 0.5 mg/dL from baseline or a confirmed phosphorus decrease to 2 mg/dL or less by Week 48. By Week 96, 2% of adefovir dipivoxil-treated patients, by Kaplan-Meier estimate, had increases in serum creatinine greater than or equal to 0.5 mg/dL from baseline (no placebo-controlled results were available for comparison beyond Week 48). For patients who chose to continue adefovir dipivoxil for up to 240 weeks in Study 438, 4 of 125 patients (3%) had a confirmed increase of 0.5 mg/dL from baseline. The creatinine elevation resolved in 1 patient who permanently discontinued treatment and remained stable in 3 patients who continued treatment. For 65 patients who chose to continue adefovir dipivoxil for up to 240 weeks in Study 437, 6 had a confirmed increase in serum creatinine of greater than or equal to 0.5 mg/dL from baseline with 2 patients discontinuing from the study due to the elevated serum creatinine concentration. See Adverse Reactions (6.2) for changes in serum creatinine in patients with underlying renal insufficiency at baseline. 6.2 Special Risk Patients Pre- and Post-Liver Transplantation Patients Additional adverse reactions observed from an open-label study (Study 435) in pre- and post-liver transplantation patients with chronic hepatitis B and lamivudine-resistant hepatitis B administered adefovir dipivoxil once daily for up to 203 weeks include: abnormal renal function, renal failure, vomiting, rash, and pruritus. Changes in renal function occurred in pre-and post-liver transplantation patients with risk factors for renal dysfunction, including concomitant use of cyclosporine and tacrolimus, renal insufficiency at baseline, hypertension, diabetes, and on-study transplantation. Therefore, the contributory role of adefovir dipivoxil to these changes in renal function is difficult to assess. Increases in serum creatinine greater than or equal to 0.3 mg/dL from baseline were observed in 37% and 53% of pre-liver transplantation patients by Weeks 48 and 96, respectively, by Kaplan-Meier estimates. Increases in serum creatinine greater than or equal to 0.3 mg/dL from baseline were observed in 32% and 51% of post-liver transplantation patients by Weeks 48 and 96, respectively, by Kaplan-Meier estimates. Serum phosphorus values less than 2 mg/dL were observed in 3/226 (1.3%) of pre-liver transplantation patients and in 6/241 (2.5%) of post-liver transplantation patients by last study visit. Four percent (19 of 467) of patients discontinued treatm

7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Since adefovir is eliminated by the kidney, coadministration of adefovir dipivoxil with drugs that reduce renal function or compete for active tubular secretion may increase serum concentrations of either adefovir and/or these coadministered drugs [See Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3) ]. Patients should be monitored closely for adverse events when adefovir dipivoxil is coadministered with drugs that are excreted renally or with other drugs known to affect renal function [ See Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ] . Adefovir dipivoxil should not be administered in combination with VIREAD [ See Warnings and Precautions (5.5)] . Coadministration with drugs that reduce renal function or compete for active tubular secretion may increase serum concentrations of adefovir or the coadministered drug. Monitor for adefovir dipivoxil associated adverse events. ( 7 )